Blinken claims to have had a “constructive” dialogue with Xi Jinping’s top foreign adviser

Both diplomats meet for the second time in a month to reduce tensions between Washington and Beijing

July 14 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Secretary of the Department of State, Antony Blinken, has affirmed that he had a “constructive” dialogue on Thursday with Wang Yi, the main foreign adviser to Chinese President Xi Jinping, in what was the second meeting in less than a month in the framework of the efforts of both parties to reduce the tensions in their bilateral relations.

Blinken and Wang have had “candid and constructive talks on a number of bilateral, regional and global issues, including areas of disagreement and cooperation,” reads a statement from the State Department, which asserts that “this is what the world expects.” from the United States and China.

“The meeting was part of ongoing efforts to keep communication channels open in order to clarify US interests on a wide range of issues and responsibly manage rivalry by reducing the risk of misinterpretation and miscalculation,” the letter continues.

At the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian States (ASEAN) summit, Blinken stressed the “importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait”, he took the opportunity to “advance US interests and interests and has raised “shared concerns” by US allies and partners.

“(Blinken) has made it clear that the United States, along with our allies and partners, will advance our vision of a free, open, and rules-based international order,” said spokesman for the secretary, Matthew Miller, adding that both parties channels of communication will be kept open.

For his part, Wang stressed that Washington “must adopt a rational and pragmatic attitude” in order to meet “halfway” with the Chinese side, stressing the need to expand diplomatic and security communication channels.

“When the Secretary of State visited China last month, Xi Jinping presented him with important strategic and guiding views on the stabilization and development of relations. Through sincere and in-depth communication, the two sides reached a certain consensus,” indicates a missive from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Wang has indicated that the United States “needs to reflect on the core of the serious difficulties that have caused Sino-US relations to fall into serious difficulties, needs to truly translate consensus (…) into concrete actions, and needs to implement the series of promises made repeatedly by President Biden”.

In addition, the Chinese diplomat has reiterated China’s position on Taiwan, demanding the US side refrain from “deliberate interference in Chinese internal affairs” and “stop suppressing China’s economy, trade and technology,” in reference to the implementation of “unlawful and unreasonable” sanctions.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent months due to trade frictions and international alliances that separate them, and ended up first derailing in August last year, with the visit to Taiwan of the then president of the lower house of the Congress of the United States, Nancy Pelosi, and in February of this year with the demolition by the US Army of an alleged Chinese spy balloon, considered a meteorological probe, according to Beijing.